Under Starter's Orders

So, the lurgy has gone at last, and the cover is off my machine, and I have been sewing, and, it felt goood!!

But first, I must show you the wonderful giveaway goodies that I won from Christa Quilts via Lucy's blog. Now I am sure I just read about my win on or about Christmas Day and the parcel arrived yesterday, all the way from Nevada, in the middle of the holiday season.
My prize was $20 worth of stuff...........I did overspend a wee bit, but not a lot, but here's the great thing - Christa has a flat rate international shipping rate of $10, isn't that just great??
As I added items to my basket I also qualified for a surprise, free fat 1/4!

I got 5.25yds of Kate Spain's Fandango - I imagine this might be an old line, it was in the sale section at less than $5 yd but I love it and there is enough to be really useful. The fat 1/4 on the far left is the freebie and is so cute. Thanks Lucy & Christa, this was a super start to the year for me.

Talking of Lucy, she is Queen Bee in the first month of our Bee a Brit Stingy Bee - she asked us to make one or two feather blocks, following this tutorial by Anna Maria Horner. I haven't been in a Bee before so my first challenge was actually picking out fabrics and hoping that they would suit. This is a stash / scrappy bee so the Queen Bee doesn't have to provide the fabric, just give us an idea of what she would like.

I try to avoid doing much with templates but this was fun, the blocks finish about 9" x 18" (mine are untrimmed but well within the size) so quite a decent size and hopefully Lucy will be able to get a quilt top put together quite quickly.

My other sewing was for Judith's Bee Blessed - really easy blocks this month - if you fancy making a couple, it won't take long at all, especially if you have some spare jelly roll strips in your stash.(Rotten photo, terrible light)

So that's me off the starting blocks for January. I am back to "work" on Sunday with a workshop -
Part 2 of a Beginners' quilt, and then regular classes start back next Wednesday.